I Love You Too Much
by thraxbaby
Summary: Emma can't stand the fact she hurt Regina by bringing Marian back, so she decides to leave, but Regina finds her and realizes where her happy ending lies.


Emma Swan fucked up.

Yes, Emma was prone to doing dumb things in the past, but this... this screw up could not be fixed. At least, not by the supposed Savior. Emma scoffed. Some savior she was. While she was lost in the past and encountered Regina as the Evil Queen, she was reminded just how different Regina was now. Evil Queen Regina was so far from Madame Mayor Regina and now it was obvious. Emma was so excited to return home and finally tell Regina how she felt, if only because she thought she would never see her again. But then Marian walked in.

Emma didn't want the woman to die. Saving people was just in her nature. But Emma realized just how bad an idea saving Marian was. The look of hurt and betrayal on Regina's face absolutely broke Emma's heart. And when Regina told - no, ordered - Emma to stay away from her, well... Emma was having a bad time. In those two months she was away from Regina, Emma couldn't get even a full hour of sleep. Between her new baby brother alarm clock who went off every couple of hours, and the constant voices in her head telling her how Regina hated her guts once again and would never forgive her, it had been impossible to sleep.

Henry had been able to get through to Regina and had been living with her more. That was good, though. It meant her plan would go smoothly. Her parents had Neal to care for, Regina had Henry. And with Emma's latest fuck up, she felt there was no longer room for a Lost-Girl-playing-Savior in Storybrooke. So there Emma was, packing up her belongings while some movie played over and over on her television.

Snow and David had taken Neal out and Henry was having much-needed bonding time with Regina. Emma had the loft to herself as she put her clothing into a duffel bag. And it was just her luck that she came across a photo of her and Regina, all smiles at the arcade for Henry's thirteenth birthday, just when a fitting song came on the TV. The main character was playing a guitar and singing to his love interest and it, along with the picture took advantage of her heightened emotions and tears blurred her vision.

Emma sniffled and wiped her eyes while she sang along to the song.

"I love you too much, To live without you loving me back, I love you too much, Heaven's my witness and this is a fact..."

* * *

Regina had not been in the loop for a couple weeks, seeing as she'd been hiding in her house and mourning her last hope of true love. Henry had made things better, but earlier during their mother-son bonding day, Henry had slipped that Emma wasn't sleeping. That she wanted to leave, that she was doubting herself and her abilities. Regina knew she had some influence in Emma's sudden drop in confidence and that she had to talk to her. She walked to the Charmings' loft and found the door unlocked. Regina shook her head. They'd had how many villains now and they still didn't lock their doors?

Regina opened the door and was met with what she recognized as a sorrowful voice singing.

"...I know I belong, When I sing this song, There's love above love and it's ours 'cause I love you too much." Regina followed the singing to find a sniffling Emma in a partially empty room. She watched in the doorway as Emma sang her heart out.

"I live for your touch, I whisper your name night after night, I love you too much, There's only one feeling and I know it's right, I know I belong, When I sing this song..." Emma's voice broke and a hiccup of a sob escaped her throat. Her hand shook as she dropped the picture on her bed.

Regina saw the picture Emma had been crying over and her heart leaped. Why was she crying over her picture? Had Emma missed her that much? Or was there another reason?

"Emma?" Regina called out softly. Emma noticeably jumped and wiped furiously at her face, hoping it didn't look like she'd just been crying.

"Hi." Emma croaked, keeping her head down and not looking Regina in the eye. The character on the TV sang passionately and Emma snatched the remote to mute it. She wasn't sure how long she'd be able to keep a straight face between having Regina a few feet away _and_ the song.

"What are you doing? Are you leaving?" Regina asked, even though the answer was fairly obvious.

"I... I'm really grateful that Henry found me, and that I got to finally meet my parents and make friends, but... but I feel like my time as "Savior" is up. All I seem to do now is screw things up. After hurting you and with Neal in the picture, there's just no place for me here."

"So that's it?" Regina asked with obvious annoyance in her voice. "You're just going to give up and leave? What about Henry?"

"If I stay here, I'm only going to screw up again. I didn't mean to hurt you, but like you said, sometimes intentions don't matter. I'm going to keep screwing up because that's just who I am. Maybe the reason you can't get your happy ending is because I can't be around." That thought sent a shock of pain akin to Freddy Kruger slicing everything in Emma's chest. She swallowed the sob that wanted to escape and continued. "I won't go far. Just a city or two over. I can come by on weekends to see Henry if you'll allow it, but I really feel I need to go." Emma gave a sad excuse for a smile and added, "I guess I should've listened to you when you gave me those apples, huh?"

Regina frowned. Hurting her had affected Emma this much? But why? She'd never reacted this way before. Regina voiced her thoughts to Emma and waited for an answer.

"It doesn't matter anymore." Emma muttered.

"Emma, seriously. Of all the years I've known you, you never ran, even when I wanted you to. What's different this time?" Emma saw the annoyance and frustration clearly written all over Regina's face and her heart sank. _That's all you'll ever be to her,_ her inner thoughts said. _Annoying. Stupid. Hurtful. She'll never love you._

"I guess it finally got through my thick skull." Emma attempted to make light of the situation, to pretend nothing was wrong. But she failed miserably. Emma had her superpower, but Regina didn't need it to see something about bringing Marian to Storybrooke and hurting Regina seriously affected Emma negatively enough for her to want to run. But why? Emma continued to pack everything she could grab and stuff it in her duffle bag. Regina paused her frantic packing by grabbing Emma's wrists and jerk her away from the bed.

"That's a lie and you know it. Now, tell me the truth." A hint of the Evil Queen was present in Regina's voice and something about it pushed Emma to shyly admit what was wrong, if only because she didn't like to see Regina upset.

"I love you too much." The confession stunned Regina enough for Emma to break away from her grip, grab the bag, and run out the door. Regina quickly snapped out of her daze to run after Emma, but Emma was already speeding away in her Bug.

* * *

Emma's heart was speeding faster than her car and a constant stream of "Why did I say that?! Why did I say that?!" ran through her head. Regina had just had her heart broken and was still recovering and Emma just dropped this bomb? Regina probably wasn't even gay! If Emma didn't get across that line soon, Regina would hate her more than ever.

The red line that marked the edge of town was in sight. Emma was so close!

"Emma, stop the car." Regina had poofed herself in the front seat, startling Emma and causing her to swerve. She skidded to a stop, mere inches from the town line. "Get out." Emma shakily took in a breath and turned off the car before exiting the car. Regina slammed the passenger door as she stormed around the Bug to face Emma.

It was obvious by the wide green eyes and subtly clenched jaw, Emma was bracing herself for rejection. Her time away from everyone made Regina realize that if Robin would go for his ex the second he saw her, then he wasn't going to be her happy ending. Seeing the picture Emma dropped reminded her of just how happy they were. Just Henry and his two mothers. Regina had gotten so obsessed with the thought of fate and fairy dust and soul mates that she never realized her happiness was right there.

"Emma," Regina started, but Emma shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Regina. I'm sorry I told you that when you were still getting over Robin, I'm sorry for bringing Marian back and hurting you in the first place. I'm sorry I screw up all the time." Tears were leaking down her cheeks and Regina's heart broke just watching her.

"How long?" Emma looked up, confused.

"What?"

"You said you loved me. For how long?" Emma shrugged.

"Little by little, I guess." Emma answered. "I really realized it when I met you in the Enchanted Forest as the Evil Queen. It reminded me just how much you've changed. I wanted to tell you how I felt, but then, well... you know. I screwed up." Emma avoided Regina's eyes, still full of nervous energy.

"You met me? When?" Regina frowned.

"Um... remember Princess Leia?" Emma gave a nervous smile. Regina searched her memory for a Princess Leia. There was one, but she looked nothing like the blonde before her. Unless...

"That was you? It was a glamour spell, wasn't it?" Emma nodded. Regina shook her head and laughed. Actually laughed.

"What?" Emma asked.

"After we met, did you feel... I don't know, a... connection? Is that when you realized you loved me?" Emma nodded.

"Yeah. Why?"

"I sent my guards looking for every Leia in the land for years after that night. I hadn't felt a spark like that since Daniel and I wanted to know why. And all this time, it was you." Their eyes met.

"So... you don't hate me?" Emma asked.

"No, Emma. I don't hate you."

"What about Robin?"

"We talked and he chose Marian. She was his wife and they deserve to be together again. Besides, my happy ending isn't a man. I think I had it already and didn't realize it." Regina reached for Emma's hand, reminiscent of the time she gave Emma new memories and sent her and Henry over the town line to save them.

"But my happy ending won't be complete unless you're in it." Regina said, then whispered the next two words: "Please stay."

With those two words, Emma's fears were dissipated. Neither Emma nor Regina were prone to much physical contact - a pat on the back was as much as they'd go - but Emma wrapped her arms around Regina and held on tightly. Regina hugged back, rubbing Emma's back lightly.

"So, how about lunch at Granny's?" Regina suggested.

"I don't know, I'm kinda in the mood for tacos."

* * *

 **A.N.: The movie mentioned in this fic was Book of Life, which is one of the most beautiful, colorful, amazing movies I've ever seen, with an amazing soundtrack. If you haven't seen it, do so immediately.**


End file.
